A man who injured a police officer with his vehicle has had his sentence reduced on appeal.
Andrew Hutchison, 21 at the time of offending in 2018, had his sentence cut by the Supreme Court due to reduced moral culpability because of impaired mental functioning.
Hutchison was originally sentenced to four years and nine months’ jail with a three year minimum.
This was cut to three and a half years with a two-year minimum.
On November 20, 2018, Hutchison told his then-partner he did not want to be here anymore and that it was his “last day”.
She contacted his brother who called triple-0.
Hutchison, with his then-partner, drove to Altona cemetery.
Police had identified the car’s location and Hutchison’s then-partner got out of the car and ran to the police.
Police tried to stop Hutchison from leaving the cemetery but he escaped onto Princes Freeway and drove through Geelong and onto the Great Ocean Road almost to Aireys Inlet.
At times, he was driving at high speeds on the wrong side of the road into oncoming traffic.
A police sergeant who had parked to deploy stop sticks saw Hutchison’s car coming towards him and ran behind his vehicle to protect himself.
Hutchison’s car hit the sergeant’s car, pushing it into the officer and throwing him about 10 metres.
He suffered a fracture foot and forefinger as well as abrasions and avulsions.
Hutchison had been travelling at 134km/h and had stepped on the brakes just before hitting the sergeant’s car.
